International Studies

Since 1998 this practical volume has helped thousands of students and researchers plan and prepare a wide range of papers, scholarly articles, dissertations and other research-related writings.

This title includes further advice on concluding, writing, and presenting research, using social media and digital methods, and understanding how to effectively work with supervisors. Setting out a clear and detailed road map, author Gary Thomas guides the reader through the different stages of a research project, explaining key steps, and processes at each level in refreshingly jargon-free terms. Readers will learn: How to choose your research question Project management and study skills Effective literature reviews Methodology, theory, and research design frames Ethics and access Data collection tools Effective data analysis Discussing findings, concluding, and writing up

"Practical aspects of a one-semester research project, from generating ideas to handing in the paper at the end of the term."

"Fundamentals of research design and data management is followed by five distinct methods of analysis: exploring, describing, ordering, explaining, and predicting."

"Constructing Social Research, Second Edition is a concise, innovative text designed for undergraduate Research Methods courses in the Social Sciences. "

"includes exemplary case studies drawn from a wide variety of academic fields."

An engaging, cross-disciplinary guide to research methodology Practical Research: Planning and Design is a do-it-yourself, how-to manual for planning and conducting research. Suitable for a wide variety of courses in basic research methodology, the book uses a conversational tone, step-by-step instructions, and practical suggestions to guide the reader from the selection of a problem to the preparation of a completed report.

"This practical, research-informed text will provide students across all disciplines with models, tasks and activities to enable them to plan, action, write and present quality research. It will help develop ideas, creative thinking and systematic research practices to enable students to produce high quality dissertations and reports."